by Christina Waters | Mar 20, 2009 | Home |
(thoughts out of season)
I was sure I spotted Marie Antoinette next to the sliding glass entrance yesterday. She was tossing huge slices of creamy tiramisu out in the direction of the parking lot. Inside, guys in togas were serenading shoppers with violin music. Sorry, I meant fiddle.
The word “excess†took on new meaning for me, as I combed the brightly-lit mega-aisles packed, nay bulging with more inventory than can be found in any three Eastern European countries put together. Who did they expect was going to show up? I wondered. There aren’t enough well-heeled consumers in the entire county to keep this inventory moving (especially not, given the new New Leaf, the amplified Staff of Life, the impending Safeway-on-steroids, the venerable Shoppers Corner, and any number of other groceries each with its own loyal customer bases). Were the WF managers going to duplicate the entire population of Santa Cruz, and then send in the clones?
Whoa. Here was something I’ve been looking for forever. Organic ostrich eggs. What a relief! WF had them, high on the multi-tiered rack of duck, quail, and free-range, pastured local eggs displayed not in anything so confining and usual as an egg carton. Oh no. But loose, if you will, like so many little oval Anna Nicole Smiths on ludes lying seductively amidst the faux straw………. (to be continued)
by Christina Waters | Mar 19, 2009 | Home |
One disgusted consumer suggested a catch phrase for “Whole Hog” could be: “Where the gluttons go to gobble!” He continued: “WH is over the top — there’s enough food in that store to feed Darfur for a year! Geez! Maybe a small % of their profits could go to Darfur?”
And another picky gourmet offered this confession:
“I made the pilgrimage to the WF grand opening day, out of curiosity (plus
they make a low-fat ginger cookie that I’m addicted to). It was a madhouse,
so got my cookie and left, but my impression was the same as yours: too too
much. There is something almost obscene (more…)
by Christina Waters | Mar 18, 2009 | Home |
Back when it was the local hotspot of California Cuisine, Theo’s thrilled the entire central coast. Who could forget the irrepressible (!) Ethan Hamm?
Well now Theo’s is closed. Owner Roger Romano was unavailable for comment this morning, but the word is that the building is up for sale.
I had many wonderful meals at that little gem. Sic transit, etc.
Ciao Bella? “Ciao” indeed. The word is that those in charge of this once-popular Ben Lomond dining room and floorshow left shall we say, “abruptly.†Felton’s La Bruschetta is also gone. But not for long, hopefully. We hear that the original owner/chef — who was also much better than the last one — plans to re-open La Bruschetta, a place I had loved back in its infancy.
Now it turns out that Fiesta Tepa Sahuayo has suffered a similar fate. Closed, emptied, owners go bye-bye, (according to one source, the owner died) and a new taqueria is planned for the same space. But it would be hard to duplicate that rose petal Oaxacan sauce, don’t you think?
Where are those culinary bail-out funds when we need them?
by Christina Waters | Mar 18, 2009 | Art, Home |
A particularly juicy collection of eye candy loaded with intriguing psychological backstory – that’s the current Assemblage + Collage show filling the vintage digs of the Santa Cruz Art League, at 526 Broadway. The Art League’s installment of this multi-venue show — it’s pretty much all over town in selected galleries and museum spaces — was curated by Maureen Davidson and offers a sensory overload of professional artworks. Gorgeous stuff actually, utterly ingenious, some haunting, others displaying uncanny expertise with found and manipulated media.
We loved the work of laura laura – whose piquant mannikin “fountain” is shown here.
Strong and compelling, the show fills the Art League galleries through April 5. Don’t miss it!
Santa Cruz Art League: 831/426-5787 – Wed-Sat, noon-5; Sun, noon-4.
by Christina Waters | Mar 17, 2009 | Home, Wine |
Is it just me or are the wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains getting better? And better.
A few months ago, for example, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, awarded 30 gold medals – including four “Best of Class” awards – to SCM wines. Thirteen of these golds went to local Pinot Noirs. Yes, it is a big deal. A record 4,736 wines were entered by wineries from all over the United States. (more…)
by Christina Waters | Mar 17, 2009 | Home |
First day of spring – last day for lunch at downtown’s amazing Gabriella Cafe.
Owner Paul Cocking admitted that since not enough ladies were lunching, Gabriella’s mid-day menu is “going south with the American economy.” The restaurant will unleash chef Brad Briske‘s full creative attention on dinners Tuesday through Sunday, and weekend brunches.
Probably a wise move, given the obvious. Thank God we still have some terrific downtown lunches options, including Oswald, Soif, Clouds, El Palomar and The Bagelry.
